The Monopoly on Sword Posts

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Epic

The Top 10 Movie Swordfights...That You Have Never Seen!

My current situation, it's not all bad. In fact, a wise person keeps telling me everything happens for a reason and maybe this change will be great. I like to believe that as well as she does. When these things happen, I am all about the silver lining. And, in my travels across the Internet looking for ways to pay bills on time, I often take little side trips for blog ideas. From these small soirees, and from the compounded learning of the wise, I give you:

THE TOP 10 MOVIE SWORD FIGHTS...THAT YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN!

If you are looking for Kill Bill, Braveheart, Gladiator, the Princess Bride, or Crouching Tiger, I invite you to hit up Google and the hundreds of movie buff websites that will show you everything that everyone else will. But, if you have a little yearning for variety and something new, the next 10 minutes or so could be very enlightening. I'll keep my opinions to a couple of sentences. Promise. Enjoy!

10) ROBIN VS. THE SHERIFF

There's just something about a geriatric James Bond taking out the guy who played Quint from Jaws (Robert Shaw) that warms my heart



9) THE SOVEREIGN'S SERVANT

Foreign film makers always take the time to try and equal up to their US counterparts. Take some notes Michael Bay



8) EL CID: CHARLTON HESTON VS. THE CHAMPION OF ARAGON

You can take Andalusia from his cold...dead...hands!



7) DUEL TO THE DEATH

Like mixing your roast beef with cap'n crunch. It's ridiculous but oh so much fun.



6) PREDATORS

Some blade combat between interstellar badasses



5) GAME OF THRONES

It's very easy to lose sight of the fact, with all of the nakedness, big speeches, feelings, and skullduggery, that Game of Thrones has some pretty epic fight scenes.





4) THE HUNTED

Self...Induced...Facelift...yikes





3) EQUILIBRIUM

What is "gun-kata??"



2) DIE ANOTHER DAY

A dapper MI:6 Irishman sword fights a North Korean despot turned English socialite...the only thing that makes sense is Madonna's corset being undone.





1) KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

Rise a knight...I think I just did

Leaving the Schola St. George

The economy never sends you written warning first. It's always quick. It is always remorseless. It is always so final, and it always leaves you searching for ways to "trim the fat." Sometimes its heading out to dinner, not golfing every Sunday, removing that one guilty pleasure of yours that helps you to save whatever you can in order to have "emergency cash" should something go south.

Well two weeks ago, a certain place, for personal security reasons I'm not going to say which one, announced that they were taking a certain operation, to a certain town very away from me, to which I would have to drive 4 hours a day.

Needless to say I was less than thrilled. But, in the wake of this little hiccup, I found myself doing 2 two things: putting my entire life to paper in short succinct little sentences and second looking at my daily life and making my own very tough cuts.

After approximately nine months with the Schola St. George, I had to tell them that I was going to cut back on the sword lessons that I loved so well. To save needed cash, I would need to miss more than a few lessons and they wouldn't be seeing my for some time. It was not an easy decision by any means but Charles, my Instruttore, God bless the man, was very understanding:

"We understand that family and loved one come first. If you ever want to de-stress, and come back, we can waive the floor fee. Good luck, and I will reach out to my contacts for you."

What a guy...

So now, that I am bit further than I wanted to be from the Schola, I find my transition has taken me from this:

to something more along the lines of this:

Western Martial Arts Sparring Gear

My last post was in February. Most bloggers keep at it day in and day out, but with the sword industry being such a niche (to say the least) hobby/lifestyle/obsessive passion, keeping up daily becomes a bit of chore. Plus, there were some smaller things keeping my attention, I started selling things on EBay, put in a new lawn at my old house, oh, and my engagement to my beautiful girlfriend of 5 years, you know, no big deal.

  

But amidst all this crazy work and changes there have been some very interesting developments in the my little microcosm of steel: the graduation of from Zugadore to Compagno in the Schola St. George, and the purchase of all my vital training equipment.

While a Zugadore, these are the people who come for a few lessons, "players" really, and then decide learning the medieval forms from Fiore are not for them, can borrow equipment, it is a requirement for a Compagno, literally someone you "break bread with," a brother, to have his own swords (plural) and protective equipment.  I have seen men and women come and go from this class, and shrink from this challenge, frequently, for what would seem valid reasons. If you aren't 1) serious about learning a complicated martial art, 2) don't have the extra cash to spend on lessons and equipment, then consider yourself weeded out my wayward warrior. 

This class, as I am only now REALLY learning, is no joke.

My self serving sojourn (with saving for an engagement ring, I have had very few spending sprees) began back in my beginning, say January 2011, when I was told I needed to buy a wooden practice sword. I had seen them advertised on KOA and other places, but I decided to go the EBay route. 

Big mistake. I thought I was getting a great deal. But, as the axiom goes, and it rings so true, "you get what you pay for." Take a look at what they sent me for the "two-for-ten" sale:

 I know. Just awful. The sword is bent. It curves to the left. It's held together with tiny nails and glue, and, if the first photo is any indication, someone might have used it as a bong at one point. Totally Frankenstein's dick. I was devastated. But, in truth, I kind of deserved it.

Rather than suffer the embarrassment, I borrowed my teacher's sword again, but this time ASKED where I could go to get the good stuff. Answers all lead me here:

$95 (yes, for a wooden sword guilty) later, I had the real deal. I had the only practice sword I would ever need. I was thrilled. See what I mean:

Sleek. Stylish. STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW. This thing was something a man could be proud to bring to battle (mock). So, as I practiced, learned Elephant Plays, Poste, and the medieval forms and counters of Fiore, I began to plan out the rest of my gear and how I would set aside the cash. 

You cannot, as stipulated in the by-laws of the Schola, practice with just a wooden sword and a smile. You need the following at least to begin to spar:

• Helmet
• Gloves
• Gambeson (think big padded sword sweater to protect your vitals)
• Gorget (what is a "Gorget"??)
• Nice pair of medieval Nikes (optional but optimal)
• Synthetic Sparring Sword (to prevent serious injury. The kiss of a cherry wood sword to the head sucks!)

Now, for someone who holds down a decent job (and pays decent bills) these items wouldn't seem to be too much of strain on the wallet right? Well, as honed as my bargain hunting skills are (thanks mom), there comes a point where a man says "Leave the shopping to the mad women at Marshalls, lets just get this done."

You're the boss: 

$85

$45

$115

$60

$95

$80

Oh, and to tie it all together, it is best to buy a sword bag too to carry your weapons:

$60

And that's it for the Sparring Set...$700 later. I think I will be OK as soon as the debit card and my PayPal account stop smoking. Then comes the Steel Set...I cant even imagine...

But, this is nothing new to the world of Western Martial Arts. In the Middle Ages, only the wealthiest nobles could become knights. It wasn't because their incredible bravery and man-prowess was greater than the common mud man, working to support his lack of contraception, no, it was because he could afford it. The medieval knight had to pay for horse, armor, sword, squire, lance, secondary weapons (axe, mace, etc), food, lodgings, gifts, tournament entries, weapons master's training, jousting trainers, horse trainers, and a host of other things that made him the PGA all star of 15th Century Europe. If he did well, he might win a purse, but nothing close to paying all of his expenses. That came from daddy, and then, eventually, when daddy died, he held the purse strings.  

Course, they did get all the medieval trim for all their spending. My  fiance doesn't bother to let  people know I am "warrior."

For all my nickel and diming in this post, I love it. Money is nothing but numbers on a page. It can be taken away so easily and there is always a way to make more. 

But, what you earn, yourself, through sacrifice, effort, and devotion, cant be weighed. It can't be bought. Most importantly, it can NEVER be taken away. 

  

Fiore Liberi's Flower of Battle

The experience of last Thursday's class (Feb 10) was the core, heart, and soul of Fiore's transcendence into the modern age. So much more than a warm and heartfelt hello to new students, and a luke warm rerun through all of the Fiore elements to date, this class THE medieval schooling of the sword. The other Zugadore, that is snot-nosed recruits (but we try) weren't able to attend. Whatever their reasoning, I was not overly concerned.

One after another, they showed up: Charles, our Intrusttore, Noah, Senior Scholaro Swordsman, and owner of full knightly harness (sword, armor, the works), and Sean Delany, Senior Compagno of the SSG Boston. To put it in perspective, and not to sound like a girl gone back stage at American Idol, it would be like a night of crime fighting with Batman, Wolverine, Jesus, and Thor, Norse God of Thunder. That's right, justice and titties everywhere! Ha Za!







Yeah, just like that..or something...

The point is, I was studying under the direct tutelage of the masters (we frown upon that term at the SSG because no one can ever really be "master") of the school. There was no frilly nonsense this time. It was all business.

Charles and I had a little Q + A session:

"What poste would you take if I did this (standing in a Tuta Porte Di Ferro)?" he asked

"I would do...this??" said I rather sheepishly whilst throwing my sword awkwardly in front of my body. I had NO idea what stance to awkwardly launch myself into.

I knew it was a test and I blew it. But, I can't really be tested on things I havent learned yet. Right? Turns out, Fiore Liberi had a number of counter-poste for each of the 12 that would give one combatant the upper hand, or at least not sacrifice his position (and subsequently, his life). I was amazed to learn this at first, but then I remebered this was a sophisticated medieval martial art not some spur of the moment sorority pillow fight.

In the "Flower of Battle," Fiore's manuscript, there are excellent illustrations for rookies to follow and learn from. These planned actions, reactions, counters to the reactions, are the corner stones of Fiore's form.







Counterstrike: Mission Accomplished.

It was now time to discover the animal within. And before you get all weird with visions of "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" - type shenannigans, Fiore developed what are known as the "Animal Virtues" to determine the strengths of each swordsman

• The Lynx - A master of strategy, your counters will be perfectly timed and perfectly calculated. Your tool is the compass.
• The Tiger - You are lightning fast. Your hands move as quickly as your thoughts and your sword clashes against armor, sword, and flesh in one long glorious note of battle. Your tool is the arrow.
• The Elephant - Your legs are unshakeable. Your form is perfect. You are the rock and armies break themselves on you like water. You are the immovable object and keep. Your tool is the tower.
• The Lion - You are a beast! You have the heart and courage to overcome any obstacle with great fervor and energy. You take the fight to your opponent with no regard for death, only victory. You could die at any moment, and in that moment, your life as a warrior would be complete. Your tool is the heart.

I was baffled. I was awe struck. I had heard of signs and symbols before of course, the Chinese zodiac, astrological signs, ect, but never in regard to the sword! What a rush!

The lion. No doubt about it. I was born under the Leo sign. All my life, I have always jumped head long into adversity (sometimes not really thinking it through).

"The Lion!" I piped. "I'm definitely the lion."

"Soon, with our help, you will come to be all four," said Charles with more solemnity than I expected.

Really? Was I a knight templar at that moment? Yes! Was I a samurai sitting with the 47 Ronin? Hellz yeah! Was I at Thermopylae at that one second in time? Aaaa ooo!!! That Miagi-magic was all mine that night. I never could have imagined such a Thursday in Watertown, MA.

A Fond Farewell

Last Thursday’s (Feb. 3) class was interesting because we shifted gears to an entirely new weapon. It was Jarkko’s, one of our senior member's, last night with us in the US until he went off to Switzerland forever where his knowledge of weapons and combat would be utterly wasted on the indigenous population. Coincidently, his weapon of choice is the poleaxe.



Described by Charles and Jarkko as “two swords at once” this gigantic two handed weapon was a splendid mash-up of ass kickery that used a crushing combination of hammer or axe head (sometimes both), sharp, pointed spike, and 6 feet of wooden staff. It was widely used in Europe during the 13th to 16th centuries to overcome the obstacle of heavy plate armor. Infantry needed something to crush the steel shell of mounted knights in heavy plate and not get their heads knocked in at the same time. Naturally, this was the way to go.



The sword didnt have the reach or the stopping power. The spear was meh, ok, but not scary enough to make a noble soak his codpiece. The Pattons of the day figured “What’s more badass than an axe, a hammer, and a spike mounted on top of 6, 8, 10 feet of hard wood?” This thing was the Swiss army knife of disgruntled medieval Europe.

Plus, Fiore was a big fan. So, we learned.

The experience was entertaining but nothing like the sword. The weapon itself was more cumbersome, unbalanced (I feel), and slower than the sword but more effective for shock-and-awe swings. More reminiscent of the standard issue for inept guards with no name tags, the poleaxe was used more as defensive, unlearned weapon, with little style, and looked pretty in formations. It was and is a blunt instrument meant to attack at a distance, unlike the finesse and acquired skill of a sword that's used to out maneuver your opponent. I’ll wager it gave the sword wielder a run for his money, but it's doubtful that it took ages to master.



After a lot of sneaky, hockey-style hooking moves, fake downward chops, delicious homemade cookies (for the bon voyage party), and running through the poste of the poleaxe, the night was drawing to a close. It was time to say our farewells to Jarkko with a warm handshake and a team photo.

Saying my goodbyes, I didn’t really to know what to think. I didn’t really know my Finnish friend (if he can be called that) too well, but first impressions and the four weeks he spent as one of my teachers told me he was a good guy and well on his way to being a master of the sword. I know that his absence robs us Zugadore (beginners) of vital Fiore teachings and interpretations, and that’s never a good thing. But, much as it tends to do, life continues, and others take the place where they must.

Hopefully, I will be among them...

Recapp

Thursday's class was a rehash of everything we have learned up to this point. I was very happy to see all of the familiar faces at the Schola Meeting (Charles, Jarkko, Matty, and Spencer) but we had some new people too. I'd like to think that the two new guys were there because of the blog, but with eight followers so far it's pretty hard to tell.

However they got there, Sean and Jeramie were the two newest additions to SSG Boston, and a welcome one at that. When you first enter the training grounds of the school, it can be pretty daunting. Charles is an excellent Instruttore, but he tends to move rather fast in his teachings; throwing all kinds of medieval Italian at you, dagger moves, poste, Elephant Plays, the works. If you can sit tight for the first few hours then you can learn the sword.



For myself, I liked the addition of the new guys because it gave me the opportunity to dive into the training with them one-on-one. At one point, Charles said to me and Matt that we should go over the basic stances and movements with them. This was my fourth week and I was getting to instruct two new Zugadore! The experience was excellent! If you can teach someone else, then you're an authority. You can practice, you can wrote memorize all you want, but unless you can teach, how do you really know you know? You know?

With Jarkko, a high-ranking Scholaro and knowledgeable teacher, leaving the country forever in a month, I can only imagine that, should I learn enough, I will be able to teach more and become an important element to practice. At least, I am hoping to fill that role.

At the end of the recapp, which was mostly dagger plays and some sword poste, we played a game. One person would try, at a walk, to get a prize at the other end of the room. The only problem with getting to this prize, were the three other people with (wooden) daggers waiting to "kill you." Oh, and did I mention these people were slow moving, bloodthirsty zombies? Getting to the prize meant disarming, through means of one of the Dagga Plays, 3 people at once, more than once, and learning a real word defensive skill.



Every new student of the sword should get to be a zombie at least once.